China starts building its own DUV lithography systems

A Chinese state backed company has reportedly begun mass producing deep ultraviolet lithography machines, marking a major milestone in China’s push for semiconductor independence. These DUV systems, typically dominated by ASML, are expected to ship to major Chinese chipmakers such as SMIC, Hua Hong and CXMT later this year. Although the machines lag behind ASML’s in performance and reliability, they still enable production of chips down to roughly 7 nm using multi patterning techniques. The development arrives as the US considers further restrictions on selling and servicing DUV machines in China, adding pressure to an already tense tech landscape. Analysts say the Chinese machines may struggle with high yields and cutting edge nodes, but acknowledge that China’s rapid progress makes long term disruption increasingly plausible.

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